Through Force or Faith? — Page 286
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 286 peace with them ( S u rah an-Nis a’ , 4:91); do not commit any excesses even during war ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:191); do not attack the enemy in the darkness of night: ( Bukh ā r ī , Kit a bul Adh a n, Chapter: To suspend fighting on hearing the Adh a n, Tradition No. 575; Muslim, Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter: Ruler appointing lead- ers [of expeditions and advising them of the etiquettes of war, etc. ], Tradition No. 3261). Neither should one try to seize their prop- erty ( Ab ū D ā w ū d, Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter: Regarding the prohi- bition of plundering when food is scarce in the land of the enemy, Tradition No. 2330). Do not take captives, except those that are captured in the course of war ( S u rah al-Anf a l, 8:68). Elderly, reli- gious leaders, children and women should not be attacked, nor should they be harmed. ( Bukh ā r ī , Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter: Killing women during war, Tradition No. 2792; Ab ū D ā w ū d, Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter: Regarding killing women, Tradition No. 2294; Ab ū D ā w ū d, Kit a bul Jihad, Chapter: Inviting the Idolaters [to accept Islam], Tradition No. 2247) For the establishment of peace, the Holy Prophet s as demon- strated, by his practice, to make formal peace pacts and to write peace treaties (Bukh ā rī, Kit ā b al-Magh ā zī), not to violate pacts ( S u rah an-Na h l, 16:92), make peace on equal terms, and not by imposing your supremacy, and by accepting the terms, even if they seem dishonourable, just for the sake of peace. ( Bukh ā r ī , Kitāb al-Maghāzī; S ī rat ibn Hish ā m; Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyyah) Do not transgress even against the enemy. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:191) Thus, a litany of instructions is available on this subject as well and all this is based on new teachings. In comparison, what are the teachings in the Bible? It enjoins that even when the enemy